Working Their Fingers to the Bone
Good morning, minions! (Yeah, I know...I'm irritating the crap out of myself too. This happy-happy-joy-joy stuff has got to end.)
Ya know how I'm always reflecting on agents and how hard their job is and how underappreciated they really are? Well, multiply that by about a hundred.
I was up reading last night (as if I could sleep with all this excitement going on) about agents and what they do and everything else (and there's a lot) that's involved in book deals & promotion. The common thread in everything I read were literary agents. In each thing I read, whether it was about making changes to a manuscript or going on a book tour, every one of those writers mentioned their agent--and with good reason. An agent's job is to help guide you through the process of publication, to answer the really dumb questions you'll ask (and you'll ask them, believe me), to assist you in not making a fool of yourself (well, as far as your book is concerned--they're agents, they're not miracle-workers), to celebrate the good stuff and to encourage during the bad stuff.
I'll never understand why so many people complain about agents and about what "money-grubbing" people they are. If you really think about it, an average first time author's advance is something like $5,000. 15% of that is (stand back--wouldn't want you to be knocked over by the millions) $750. 750-measly-dollars. And all of that for doing what? Oh, I don't know, maybe getting your book in front of editors you couldn't reach before and helping your career to take root and grow. If you ask me, they deserve more.
At the very least, our respect.
Ya know how I'm always reflecting on agents and how hard their job is and how underappreciated they really are? Well, multiply that by about a hundred.
I was up reading last night (as if I could sleep with all this excitement going on) about agents and what they do and everything else (and there's a lot) that's involved in book deals & promotion. The common thread in everything I read were literary agents. In each thing I read, whether it was about making changes to a manuscript or going on a book tour, every one of those writers mentioned their agent--and with good reason. An agent's job is to help guide you through the process of publication, to answer the really dumb questions you'll ask (and you'll ask them, believe me), to assist you in not making a fool of yourself (well, as far as your book is concerned--they're agents, they're not miracle-workers), to celebrate the good stuff and to encourage during the bad stuff.
I'll never understand why so many people complain about agents and about what "money-grubbing" people they are. If you really think about it, an average first time author's advance is something like $5,000. 15% of that is (stand back--wouldn't want you to be knocked over by the millions) $750. 750-measly-dollars. And all of that for doing what? Oh, I don't know, maybe getting your book in front of editors you couldn't reach before and helping your career to take root and grow. If you ask me, they deserve more.
At the very least, our respect.
posted by Heather Brewer at 5:51 AM
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